Attending the Funeral of a Non-Muslim Relative

Walaikum assalam,

Yes, it is permitted to attend the funeral of a non-Muslim parent, relative, neighbor, or associate. One needs to avoid attending their religious ceremonies, however.

It is mentioned in al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, by Zain al-Din Ibn al-Nujaym, the great Egyptian Hanafi faqih's 7 volume commentary (the 8th volume was authored by another scholar after the former's death) on Imam al-Nasafi's Kanz al-Daqa'iq,a commentary considered one of the very best in the school and used very extensively by Ibn Abidin in his works:

"And one may follow their [i.e. a kafir's] funeral from afar..." (al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2.205, Dar al-Kitab al-Islami)

The very same is mentioned by Imam Kamal ibn al-Humam, the Hanafi mujtahid who was a teacher of al-Suyuti and others, in his Fath al-Qadir (2.132, Dar al-Fikr ed.)

Imam al-Kasani mentioned in his Bada'i` al-Sana'i`:

"If a non-Muslim close relative dies, there is nothing wrong with a Muslim to... follow his funeral and bury him, because children were... ordered to keep their company with excellence, for Allah Most High said, "Keep their company in this life with excellence," and from righteousness is to wash him, bury him, and shroud him [f: if no non-Muslim is found to do so, and to follow his funeral in general]." [1.302-303, Ilmiyya ed.]

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani.

 

قال ابنُ نجيم في البحر الرائق ، و الكمال في فتح القدير:
وَيَتْبَعُ الْجِنَازَةَ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ ...قال الإمام الكاساني في كتابه النفيس ، بدائع الصنائع:وَمِنْهَا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمَيِّتُ مُسْلِمًا حَتَّى لَا يَجِبَ غُسْلُ الْكَافِرِ ; لِأَنَّ الْغُسْلَ وَجَبَ كَرَامَةً وَتَعْظِيمًا لِلْمَيِّتِ , وَالْكَافِرُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ اسْتِحْقَاقِ الْكَرَامَةِ وَالتَّعْظِيمِ , لَكِنْ إذَا كَانَ ذَا رَحِمٍ مَحْرَمٍ  مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِ لَا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يُغَسِّلَهُ وَيُكَفِّنَهُ وَيَتْبَعُ جِنَازَتَهُ وَيَدْفِنَهُ ; لِأَنَّ الِابْنَ مَا نُهِيَ عَنْ الْبِرِّ بِمَكَانِ أَبِيهِ الْكَافِرِ , بَلْ أُمِرَ بِمُصَاحَبَتِهِمَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى { وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا } وَمِنْ الْبِرِّ الْقِيَامُ بِغُسْلِهِ , وَدَفْنِهِ وَتَكْفِينِهِ , وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِ مَا رُوِيَ { عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رضي الله عنه لَمَّا مَاتَ أَبُوهُ أَبُو طَالِبٍ جَاءَ إلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إنَّ عَمَّكَ الضَّالَّ قَدْ تُوُفِّيَ فَقَالَ : اذْهَبْ وَغَسِّلْهُ وَكَفِّنْهُ وَوَارِهِ وَلَا تُحْدِثَنَّ حَدَثًا حَتَّى تَلْقَانِي قَالَ : فَفَعَلْت ذَلِكَ وَأَتَيْته فَأَخْبَرْته فَدَعَا لِي بِدَعَوَاتٍ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي بِهَا حُمْرُ النَّعَمِ } وَقَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ : سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ رضي الله تعالى عنهما فَقَالَ : إنَّ امْرَأَتِي مَاتَتْ نَصْرَانِيَّةً فَقَالَ : اغْسِلْ هَا وَكَفِّنْهَا وَادْفِنْهَا , وَعَنْ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ أَنَّ أُمَّهُ مَاتَتْ نَصْرَانِيَّةً فَتَبِعَ جِنَازَتَهَا فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ رضي الله تعالى عنهم ثُمَّ إنَّمَا يَقُومُ ذُو الرَّحِمِ بِذَلِكَ إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ هُنَاكَ مَنْ يَقُومُ بِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ دِينِهِ , فَإِنْ كَانَ خَلَّى الْمُسْلِمُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُمْ لِيَصْنَعُوا بِهِ مَا يَصْنَعُونَ بِمَوْتَاهُمْ .